Tuesday 16th July 1918

Front line trenches north-west of Mount Kaberlaba.

Cpl. Thomas Anthony Swale (see 11^th June) re-joined the Battalion from 23^rd Division Convalescent Camp.

Pte. Vernon Barker (see 22^nd July 1917) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 24^th Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from diarrhoea.

Pte. Reginald James Nosworthy (see 17^th June) was transferred from 38^th Stationary Hospital in Genoa to the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano; he had been suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue).

Pte. John William Procter (see 29^th June), who had been suffering from an abscess to his left thigh, was transferred from hospital in Marseilles to 16^th Convalescent Depot, also in Marseilles.

After ten days’ treatment for ‘debility’, Pte. Albert John Start (see 5^th July), who had been serving in France with 791^st Area Employment Company, Labour Corps, was posted back to England, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship Aberdonian. 

L.Cpl. Robert William Buckingham (see 9^th February), serving at the Regimental Depot at Halifax, was late returning from a pass; he was due back at 11.55pm but would not return until 7.15am the following day and would be reprimanded but suffer no further punishment.

Pte. Leonard Nicholl (see 28^th November 1916), who had been wounded in November 1916, was discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit due to his injuries.

Pte. James Moran (see 17^th June) appeared at the Leeds Assizes and was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of George Taylor Birkhead, at Brighouse on June 9^th. The case was reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post,

‘Mr. C. Mellor, who prosecuted, said the tragedy arose out of the infidelity of a wife whilst her husband was serving with the colours. On the night of June 8^th the prisoner was at Bradford and decided to walk to his home, where he arrived at two o’clock in the morning. He knocked at the door, and was kept outside for some time, and this probably aroused his suspicions. When he entered the house he found the dead man behind the door of the children’s bedroom. Birkhead went downstairs and the prisoner followed him. Soon after, the men had a conversation and the prisoner struck Birkhead, who picked up a chair, with a bayonet and inflicted fatal injuries. 

After the prisoner had withdrawn his plea and pleaded guilty, Mr. W.J. Waugh, K.C., on behalf of the prisoner, asked Mr. Justice Shearmain to say that only a technical manslaughter had been committed. The prisoner had volunteered for service in September 1914 and had been wounded twice. He had not the slightest idea that his wife had been unfaithful to him, and they had always lived on affectionate terms.

His Lordship said that whilst everyone would have the greatest possible sympathy for a brave man who had found his wife had betrayed him whilst he was serving his country, they who sat on the bench knew how dangerous it was to the community when people took the law into their own hands.